Collective Bargaining in California Public Schools

1. Collective Bargaining in California Public Schools Communication before, during and after bargaining

2. Communication before and during negotiations • Effective communication during negotiations is dependent on setting up an effective communication plan well before the negotiations get rocky. • There must be communication plans to assure that each of the stakeholder groups receives appropriate communication.

3. Communication when “Sunshining” your proposal • An often missed opportunity to share the district’s stand on key issues is when the positions are shared and “sunshined” at a Board meeting. Districts often let this opportunity slide by just listing briefly the topics to be covered. Take the time to show how your core values and principles are the source of your positions.

4. Communication with employees • Since they are the people represented by the organization across the table, communication with the district employees needs to be firmly in place. • Frontload employees with the facts through written communication and your website early and often so that when the union issues their version of the facts, there will at least be two versions for employees to consider rather than to simply accept the union information.

5. Communication with employees • The employees need to know that steps and columns have already used some of the new money or that special education is taking more of the funding or that declining enrollment is impacting the available money. • Be sure that you are communicating clearly about your full educational program and everything else going on in the district so you don’t give the impression that negotiations are the only thing you’re dealing with.

6. Communicating with parents and the community • Parents are a little tougher to reach but establishing an informative and dynamic website is a good place to start. • Regular communication through email or notes should also be something that is done from the outset and not just done when things get rough.

7. Establishing a good working relationship with local media • An excellent way to communicate with the community is through a regular column in the local newspaper, usually something featuring monthly updates from the superintendent. If you don’t have such a column, work with your local paper to establish one.

8. Establishing a good working relationship with local media • Education reporters are usually fairly low on the pecking order and may not have much expertise on education when they take over. • Do all you can to inform and educate reporters, much as you inform and educate new Board members. A study session with the local editor and the education reporter can pay dividends later when stories demonstrate an understanding of your program and positions.

9. Communication with your management team • Don’t forget to keep your management team in the loop. • They don’t need every detail, but should know the basic positions being discussed and the rationale for district positions. • They need to feel like their input is valued, even if they’re not sitting at the table.

10. Communication with your management team • Ideally, the management team can be the eyes and ears of the district, keeping you informed about what is being said by the average employee. • They should know enough to squelch rumors and misinformation, but should defer to the designated public spokesperson for the district if there are serious negotiation questions.

11. Communication with the Board of Trustees • The Board of Trustees needs to be fully informed and involved in the core values and principles that are established at the outset of negotiations and need to understand the basic positions being taken by the negotiation team. • The Board shouldn’t hear every detail of what was said at the table, but they should know positions that are being championed by either team and understand the underlying issues.

12. Communication with the Board of Trustees • Study sessions early in the process can be done at open meetings that might bring employees or the public in to again hear your explanations and standards for negotiations. • During negotiations, you can talk about negotiations in closed session or even call special closed session meetings with negotiations as the only topic.

13. Confidentiality and unfair labor practices • Honor the confidentiality of negotiations by not sharing out the more outrageous things people say or propose during negotiations. • However, you are not breaking confidentiality, or performing an unfair labor practice, by sharing the positions you are taking at the table and your rationale for those positions. Don’t be afraid to communicate.